Hero Stuff
Hero Comic Thing NOTE: Use the Power Wiki's naming conventions for powers, barring extremely specific ones. General Thoughts Since I've been getting into comics and a lot of super hero-related stuff recently, I've begun to wonder about what really makes a superhero and what it might be like in a somewhat realistic 21st Century environment. I mean, you've got people from Marvel and DC that have been around for decades at this point, and like anything else they change with the times for the most part and are accepted as part of their world. Naturally because of comic book time or in-universe reasons, these people will mostly never age and will stay in their prime for the most part. However, what if these superheroes did age naturally like everyone else, and perhaps found it difficult to cope with a changing world? I'm not quite talking about a Watchman-esque story about washed-up crimefighters coping with their troubled pasts or personality issues exactly, as it'd be more about people not really knowing their place in the world any more and perhaps being envious or harbouring distrust towards a newer generation of heroes. I don't want each hero to be some one-dimensional representation of their own era, since realistically people tend to be shaped by personal experiences and hold views that perhaps change over time. This is mostly just spur-of-the-moment stuff right now, so I'll just note down stuff and see what comes of it. The Story It's 2016. Superheroes and their villainous counterparts have been around for nearly a century, and have more or less become accepted by the public. Many governments have registries for those born with unique powers to act as crimefighters, while some turn a blind eye to unregistered vigilantes whose actions against criminals do not go too far. Heroes have gone from well-loved but mysterious figures to bona fide celebrities in the recent years, especially with the rise of the internet. While too few to totally eliminate crime, over the years they have genuinely cleaned up some areas and have defeated so many super villains that it seems like none would dare oppose them. In what seems like the dawn of a new age, a few older, seemingly out of date ex-heroes wonder what kind of purpose they have these days while unseen forces plot against the United Hero Organisation. We begin with two ex-masks at the funeral of John Morris, formerly known as Justice, one of the first 'superheroes' who spend decades fighting crime. On Heroes So what makes a hero, and what's the qualifier for adding 'super-' at the front? In its basest form, it's someone who dedicates their life towards helping others because they feel it's the right thing to do. Some get paid, some do it voluntarily. Often we hear people talk about the 'real heroes' - firefighters, the police, paramedics etc. - and how comic book heroes respect them so deeply. After all, in real life, these are the folks who are out there trying to save lives and help people for real, since actual vigilantism is seen as unlawful and those who carry it out are usually average folk and those doing it in costume are exceptionally rare. I suppose the major difference is the presence of abilities that few Humans could replicate - Batman and Green Arrow lack superpowers, for example, but repeatedly show feats of athleticism and general fighting skills that we wouldn't see in reality. That said, I think it's the selfless act of saving others that truly makes one a hero. So, for this project I wanted to have people who are a mixed bag when it comes to powers and the like. While I understand characters on the level of Superman, for instance, I feel that someone with that level of power could have a massive effect on the world. Of course, Supes doesn't solve almost every problem on Earth because 1) It would more or less make him the planet's ruler, which he doesn't want, and 2) In comics, the status-quo is incredibly important if you're going to keep printing stories for decades. So, here are my ideas for the various heroes in my story: On Crime I recall reading something about an ex-con saying that actually going in and robbing a bank these days is absolutely insane and not worth it, considering the sheer protection such places have and the fact that you'd almost certainly be tracked down and caught even if you successfully escape the scene of the crime. Of course, the archetype of the superhero stopping a bank robbery is something that's been imprinted into most comic fans since they rose to popularity in the days where while difficult, it was certainly possible to pull it off. Nowadays, electronic banking and CCTV have really killed off the idea, but thanks to supervillains we can still get that sort of thing; it's the extraordinary powers or gadgets that people possess that allows them to do it. So this begs the question: What sort of crime would a superhero deal with on a day-to-day basis? So first and foremost, you've got street-level crime. That's muggers, thieves and rapists, generally. Now I've always imagined that heroes would set out patrol routes within their area of operations depending on who is active and what their powers are, usually at night. The major focus of this story, which is on the history of American heroes over the years, will be that these are mostly government-sanctioned vigilantes who - for the most part at least - do not carry deadly weapons. That said, there's always the little-addressed issue of how some heroes like Batman never kill, but likely leave plenty of perps with broken bones and possibly crippling injuries. Perhaps there's these designated hospitals just for guys who've had run-ins with heroes? I mean, if Justice punches you, you're not only knocked out, you've likely got a broken jaw if you're lucky. Of course, when you've got superhuman strength, armoured skin or er, banana powers (LOMI why), you can be inventive with your methods of capturing criminals. So yeah, the old 'tie them up and leave them for the cops' method would likely work on these folks, though by the time heroism gets properly organised I bet they've got drop-off points or some kind of transport system. Now a step above that would be organised crime. You'd have the usual coterie of counterparts to real world criminal organisations seen in comics: The Mafia, Yakuza, Triads, Irish Mob, Cartels, Vice Lords and so on. Now in a world where there are people who can fly and punch others through buildings, surely you'd wonder why such groups even exist? Most would probably be in dire straits or would've gone underground to survive. Now a major factor in why they're still active is that there's nowhere near enough heroes to wipe their groups out entirely, and while they're likely to bust the lower-ranking members and disrupt things, if their leaders are smart then they'll ensure that they keep their operations very, very quiet. The no-kill rule probably helps, since some might keep running their business from prison or escape later on. This is probably why they don't shake the beehive by putting a hit out on non-lethal heroes (though naturally they'll still try to kill them if possible), and why the rare ones who do kill will be a huge target. By the 21st Century, any organised crime rings will be as spread out as possible to cover more ground than the heroes could, with international connections and the like. Also, with supervillains around, these fellows might not be that high on the pecking order compared to people wanting to take over the world. That said, it depends on the area and the severity of their crimes. If they're running drugs into a city that's largely a job for the police and investigators to find, though some would follow it up. Individual heroes might have gripes with particular gangs built into their stories, so it really differs from person to person. Heroism and Society So I'm mostly focusing on the US in this story, seeing as the concept of the superhero is something that is born there in this universe. Actual vigilantes would be swiftly arrested or be totally ineffectual without powers, so that's sort of why I have the League of Heroes set up with the US Government's permission following World War 2. It'd make sense at the time I suppose, seeing as many of its members were men returning as war heroes and the government would likely want to promote these larger-than-life figures as symbols of American justice and whatnot. That's the way I see this working at the start, as these people with superhuman powers are given some jurisdiction to act as crimefighters. How many Heroes? On the 21st Century These days, I find it hard to properly classify our current generation of superheroes. I suppose it's easier to do so when looking back, really. Aside from long-running characters getting the usual makeovers as technology and the world in general advances, there are probably a few trends that would affect these people: *'The internet and recognition': Way until the 1990s at the very least, I could fully understand the concept of a superhero going around with little more than a domino mask or even a set of shades to hide their identity. Sure, pictures could be taken and they could be filmed doing all their hero-ing, but facial recognition software and the ability to track people based on a single picture has never been easier. It is because of this that heroes in the 21st Century would likely choose between living as well-known celebrities, with all the upsides and downsides that would entail, or ensuring that they are clad in a face-covering mask while fighting crime. Now, that's not to say that every superhero without a mask would instantly be spotted. I mean, the Superman/Clark Kent disguise is basically just a change in posture, hairstyle, and a set of shades, so perhaps there are some who can manipulate their appearance enough to avoid exposure. *'The 'Rebooting' of the Superhero:' We seem to live in an age of reboots and re-imaginings, for both better and for worse. We see something we really love, and once we're through with it, usually we're satisfied with what we had. It happens in various forms of media, so why won't superheroes themselves try to begin again? Now, there's probably a couple of ways to go about this. First, we have the washed-up older hero who's not out of the game, and looking for recognition. Maybe they had a silly codename or costume in the 80s and have since fallen into obscurity, or aren't taken as seriously any more despite fighting crime? So, perhaps they go to an agency and try to 'reboot' their heroic identity. With a new costume, new codename and some well-placed advertising, they're suddenly popular again! Of course, this lust for popularity would probably conflict with the nobility of fighting crime because it has to be done, though some people need a bit of recognition at times. The second version would be a new hero who never really took off and keeps trying to succeed despite multiple failures (Think Fantastic Four films). Third would be the idea of someone inheriting the mantle of a certain superhero's name. We've seen it with the likes of Captain America or Spiderman, so why not here? I'd say that it would work best if the hero represented something like Cap did; trying to take the name of a famous hero whose only role was fighting criminals because their name means something to people can come across as a shitty thing to do. It's likely a personal thing, but sometimes you've got to accept that certain folks have had their time, and that the same names can't be reused forever. *'Social Media and Sponsorship:' In today's world, social media is everywhere. It permeates the lives of most people living in First World countries whether we like it or not, and those who aren't part of it can be seen as un-trendy or whatever. So, what about heroes? The likes of Superman maintaining a Twitter account seems laughable, but it really comes back to this whole notion of wanting to be seen and heard. With mass media and more or less global communication at the easiest it has ever been in mankind's history, you're gonna get attention whores. Would a superhero take a selfie with the muggers he or she has just tied up? Maybe. Would some tech-savvy crimefighter set up a Twitch feed in his helmet while he busts a crime ring? Perhaps. Would some of them start up Patreon accounts to 'help with a busy career fighting crime' despite having frigging superpowers? Of course they would, people are shits. It really comes back to this idea of the Superhero as a celebrity in this world as people tune in to watch their lives, because if there's one thing people love more than voyeurism, it's being a voyeur to the lives of people who can fly and shoot laser beams, that's for damn sure. On the Eras *Golden Age (1939-1956) *Silver Age (1957-1973) *Bronze Age (1974-1985) *Iron/Dark Age (1986-2000) **80's **90's *Aluminum/Modern Age (2001-) List of Heroes Golden Age *'Bluecoat' (1919-1973) **'Real Name': Herbert Green **'Powers': X-Ray Vision **'Years Active': 1939-1957 **'Bio': The first official masked superhero to appear, Bluecoat was first sighted after stopping a mugging in Boston, Massachusetts. Clad in the distinctive garb of a member of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and wearing a facemask, he made headlines in 1939 after a string of attacks against petty criminals that escalated to the massacre of twenty-eight members of a local crime family in one night. Bluecoat''s sudden willingness to kill instead of capture made him reviled in the media, though he was considered a folk hero by some. In November of 1941 he was arrested by Federal agents in an ambush, though this was kept secret from the press at the time. With rumours of individuals with special powers across the United States spreading at the time, the government had ''Bluecoat prove his own superpowers before offering an official pardon if he worked for them. He accepted, and following the country's entry into the Second World War after the attack on Pearl Harbour a month later served as a patriotic mascot encouraging young men to enlist in the military. While his superiors wished to keep him safe at home, he convinced them to let him fight and proved himself as a talented sniper in the Pacific War. Post-war, he was invited into the League of Heroes as one of its founding members, something that his superiors encouraged. Bluecoat was banned from using lethal weaponry while working with the League as they fought against crime syndicates across America's east coast. Bluecoat''s government work would begin to cause tensions between teammates that came to a head in the early 1950s after he was discovered by Justice to have been in South America, hunting down former Nazis alongside ''Golem and White Mask. After arguing over the righteousness of Bluecoat's actions regarding their targets deserving trials, he left the main group in 1955 and would continue solo work as a vigilante before officially hanging up his mask two years later. With the US government promising to keep his identity hidden from the public, Herbert Green pursued a career in politics while privately helping to groom an appropriately patriotic set of superpowered successors to work for the government, eventually succeeding with the recruitment of Stars and Stripes. In 1972, the defection of one of his former handlers to the Soviet Union led to his secret identity being revealed and Green was forced to move across the country for fear of reprisals from any former foes or even the general public. While initially successful, he was eventually tracked down by several villains the following year and killed by Magnus, Icepick and Rat King after managing to kill The Howler. After his body was found, still wearing his old costume, Bluecoat was quietly buried in a nearby cemetery. **'Personality': While very much an enigma even to those on his team, Bluecoat was known for his violent attitude towards criminals and believed that harsh punishment was necessary for certain individuals. However, he rarely displayed anger outwardly and was soft-spoken and polite towards others. More than anything else, he considered himself a patriot and was proud of his contribution to the Second World War's propaganda machine and military service and cared little for who was in charge, so long as they represented what he saw as 'American values'. *'Justice' (1920-2016) **'Real Name': John Morris **'Powers': Supernatural Strength, Supernatural Agility, Enhanced Durability **'Years Active': 1945-1979 **'Bio': Born in Oklahoma, John Morris grew up on a large farm and manifested his powers early in life, displaying incredible strength and stamina even as a child. Never straying far from the rural town where he grew up, he was unaware of the existence of so-called 'superheros' popping up across America around this time. After America entered World War Two in late 1941, John would enlist with the US Marine Corps and fought at Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Peleliu and Iwo Jima. He was decorated multiple times for his bravery and feats of superhuman strength, which culminated in one of the few battles between powered individuals during the war when he killed a fire-wielding Japanese commander known as 'Karyu' - 'Fire Dragon' - in single combat. Upon the war's end, he returned to the United States and believing he could make a difference back home, became the costumed superhero known simply as Justice. With help from various agencies and the government itself, he was able to put together the League of Heroes that year, bringing six other individuals together to help fight crime and protect the populace. He soon became a household name as he moved into New York and set himself against the gangsters and hoodlums that dwelled there in the turbulent post-war years. Despite his amazing strength, he chose never to kill those he went up against and believed that criminals deserved a fair trial regardless of their crimes. As such, he and Bluecoat often argued over the morality of killing rapists and serial killers instead of handing them over to the police, though none within the group challenged his leadership. Justice would continue to lead the League for over a decade, though relations with the rest of the group soon became strained as he felt the others had begun to follow their own agendas outside of hunting down criminals. Bluecoat's departure in 1957, followed by the murder of Atom Bomb two years later and disagreements in the League led to its reformation in 1960 as 'Heroes of America'. Justice took a more relaxed position afterwards as the superheros more or less operated alone with minimal oversight. As the Vietnam War began to escalate, he and numerous other heroes were asked to join to boost morale. He and many others declined, and despite his recommendations as leader of their organisation, numerous superheroes did enlist to fight in Vietnam, including White Mask, who was killed there in 1962. Distraught over his friend's death, Justice made the controversial decision banning League members from enlisting, the arguments over which almost turned to violence among the HOA's upper echelons before Justice called for calm, insisting that there be a vote to keep him on as leader. While he won by a narrow margin of 53%, the sheer number of superheroes against him made the venerable crimefighter officially stand down from his position and quit the HOA, only to form a second group known as 'Heroes for Justice', to be established in California. Many would join him as they set about establishing their own patrol routes on the west coast, with Justice and Tyche overseeing them. It was during this period that he and Tyche began a relationship, revealing their true identities to each other and eventually getting married secretly in 1963. Tyche chose to retire from active duty after giving birth to their son the following year and Justice found himself torn between looking after his newfound family and dealing with the crime syndicates the HFJ had been struggling to take down, and began to delegate responsibilities to junior members. With the HFJ now numbering well over a hundred heroes across the midwest and western coast, he focused most of their efforts on taking down a cadre of supervillains led by a figure known as Magnus. While they were met with some success, the group was unable to find their target. Justice would not hear from Magnus - whose long list of crimes and constant mocking of the HFJ made him his nemesis - until 1973, when a retired Bluecoat was brutally murdered. While the deatils were hidden from the public, he and his comrades were informed of the attack and ended up tracking the villain to Alaska, where he was attempting to trigger World War Three by hijacking a military base to fire upon the USSR. Following a colossal battle, Justice would finally defeat his foe, crippling Magnus before arresting him. Finally feeling his age, he would return to California and spent the next few years quietly fighting crime as he always had. After Heroes of America collapsed in 1977, he welcomed many of their number back into the fold and set about the foundations for a new organisation that would cover the entirety of the United States - SuperForce. In late 1979, Justice retired, becoming John Morris once more shortly before the HFJ formally dissolved. Believing the organisation to be in safe hands, he settled down in California alongside his family, living off the generous amount of money granted to him quietly by the US government for his years of service. While his son grew up and eventually moved out, he would organise the local neighbourhood watch and ensured that no criminal dared to come within ten blocks of his house. In 1991 he would pen an autobiography, Right and Left, detailing his thirty-four years as a costumed superhero. Unlike many heroes, who had troubled retirements, Morris led a happy life with his children and grandchildren, who helped him cope when Helena died in 2001. He would live out the rest of his days quietly, often keeping in correspondence with the leaders of the now-worldwide United Hero Organisation before passing away in 2016 at the age of ninety-six. With his passing, the last of the 'Golden Age' era of superheroes had disappeared from the world. **'Personality': Having always been eager to lend a hand, Justice was a man who saw fighting 'evil' as his duty, seeing his immense powers as tools to be used for this purpose. While unfailingly polite to those he met, his rather strong views made him disapprove of certain vices some heroes indulged in and gave him a rather black and white view of the world; criminals would have to be punished before a court of law no matter what, while heroes had to stick to a very strict moral code. However, he would not punish killings made in war or on the government's orders regardless of how much he disagreed with them. *'Tyche' (1923-2001) **'Real Name': Helena MacDonald **'Powers': Precognition, Enhanced Instincts **'Years Active': 1941-1964 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'Golem' (1905-1986) **'Real Name': Markus Abramovich/Mark Abrams **'Powers': Super Strength, Skin Hardening **'Years Active': 1938-1977 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'White Mask' (1926-1962) **'Real Name': Arthur 'Artie' Howe **'Powers': N/A **'Years Active': 1945-1962 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'Atom Bomb' (1917-1959) **'Real Name': Floyd Walterson **'Powers': Explosion Inducement, Jet Propulsion **'Years Active': 1945-1959 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'Mamba Man' (1922-1999) **'Real Name': Paul Fernandez **'Powers': Poison Breath **'Years Active': 1946-1981 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': Silver Age *'Stars' (1930-1983) **'Real Name': Jack Mayhew **'Powers: Enhanced Endurance, Soundwave/Voice Manipulation **'Years Active': 1960-1983 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'Stripes''' (1941-1997) **'Real Name': Scott Turner **'Powers': Accelerated Perception, Organic Shield Construction **'Years Active': 1960-1997 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'Blue' (1949-) **'Real Name': Clayton Saunders **'Powers': Hydrokinesis **'Years Active': 1968-2003 **'Bio': **'Personality': Bronze Age *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': 1980s *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': 1990s *'Night Hunter' (1969-) **'Real Name': Martin Garza **'Powers': Blade Retraction **'Years Active': 1988-2005 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'Gunfly' (1974-) **'Real Name': Sidney Grey **'Powers' **'Years Active': 1993- **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': 21st Century *'Thunderhead' (1989-) **'Real Name': Gabriel Quirino **'Powers': Electricity Generation, Enhanced Dexterity, Enhanced Agility **'Years Active':2008 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': Superhero Teams Much like the X-Men or Avengers, the heroes of this universe would often assemble into different groups, though some preferred to operate alone. *League of Heroes (USA, 1945-1960) **Founding Team (1945) ***''Justice'' (John Morris) ***''Tyche'' (Helena MacDonald) ***''Golem'' (Mark Abrams) ***''Bluecoat'' (Herbert Green) ***''Atom Bomb'' (Floyd Walterson) ***''White Mask'' (Arthur Howe) *Heroes of America (East Coast USA, 1960-1977) *Heroes for Justice (West Coast USA, 1962-1980) *The Lost Boys (Worldwide, 1974-1992) *SuperForce (USA, 1980-1993) *International Justice Division (Worldwide, 1983-1997) *Red Line (Euro-US, 1989-1997) *United Hero Organisation (Worldwide, 1993 Onwards) *Young Heroes United (Worldwide, 1998 Onwards) *Task Force Hades (2001-2011) *Old Masks Anonymous (USA, 2002 Onwards) List of Villains Golden Age *'Mönchsgeier/Black Vulture' (1915-1986) **'Real Name': Egon Strauss **'Powers': None **'Years Active': 1937-1986 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': Silver Age *'Magnus' (1939-) **'Real Name': Luco Carmine **'Powers': Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed **'Years Active':1963-1973 **'Bio': The son of Italian immigrants, Luco Carmine grew up in the Bronx in New York city. His father was killed fighting in Europe during the Second World War, and as such he was largely raised by his mother as a middle child, with an elder brother and younger sister. Luco excelled in school and worked hard, hoping to pursue a career in finance when he was older. At the age of fourteen, he discovered several local gangsters attempting to extort money from his family's cafe at gunpoint with the intention of setting up a protection racket and tried to intervene by attacking one of the men, who easily knocked him to the floor and began beating him with a baseball bat. His mother then took a handgun from under the counter and fired at Luco's attacker and one of his companions, only to be shot repeatedly by the third man. As he watched his mother die, Luco was overcome with blind fury and despite his injuries leapt at the man, landing a single punch that utterly smashed his ribcage and killed him instantly, sending him through a nearby wall. It was here that the young boy first awakened his powers, and vowed to use them to take power in New York. In the following weeks, his family home was burned down by the Mafia and his elder brother was shot as they tried to move into Manhattan. Abandoning school and leaving his sister with their cousins, Luco spent over a month tailing gangsters until he discovered the headquarters of the Puccini Family and their leader, Don Michael Puccini. As soon as he was utterly certain that they were the ones responsible for the attacks on his family not long after he turned fifteen, Luco infiltrated the mansion during the Don's birthday party and used his superhuman strength and speed to slaughter almost everybody inside, beating dozens of armed men to death with his bare hands. He left only a financial adviser named Carlo Rossi alive, instructing the man to deliver news that the Puccini Family was no more and that he would be taking over the organisation. While this was met with a great deal of resistance from the remaining gangsters and other crime families, Luco's sheer strength and brutality even at a young age terrified the others into submission. By his sixteenth birthday in 1955, he exhibited total control over a widespread Mafia group in New York, and even set up a legitimate business known as The Carmine Association, which dealt in the international trade of cars and machinery. Though he could have lived comfortably, Luco decided to dedicate himself to spreading his reach beyond his home city, with dreams of conquest in his mind. Taking up the pseudonym of 'Magnus', he became what is widely accepted to be the first true 'supervillain'. While he deliberately did not incite the wrath of the League of Heroes and maintained a public persona as a businessman, Magnus would eventually find his illegal enterprises under attack by these vigilantes and doubled his efforts to remain anonymous, lest they discover who was running drugs and guns into New York. In 1962, his younger sister Eva was kidnapped while on holiday in Italy, and soon Magnus would receive threats from a Russian mob boss named Konstantin Vasiliev, better known as король зимы, or 'King Winter'. Operating out of Sibera, his group had contacts across the USSR and wished to expand into the United States in spite of numerous heavy restrictions brought about due to the Cold War. Having discovered Magnus' identity as Luco Carmine, the Russians believed that they could force him to act as their supplier by using Eva as leverage. Luco accepted the agreement immediately, and then used all his contacts to barter passage into the Soviet Union while maintaining the appearance that he was still running things in America. As he moved through Alaska, he first came into contact with the powered criminal Gilbert Baker, better known as Icepick. After breaking him out of prison, the pair made the arduous journey over to the USSR and infiltrated Vladivostok, where King Winter was headquartered. Just like he had slaughtered the Puccini Family years before, Magnus utterly destroyed the Russians with his bare hands until he found Konstantin Vasiliev holding Eva at gunpoint. His sister had been heavily abused and made dependent on heroin by her captors, though she still recognised her brother. As Vasiliev gave him one chance to depart peacefully, now demanding an even larger cut of his organisations' profits, Magnus realised that he had no intention of losing his criminal empire and attacked. Eva was shot in the head moments before he got his hands on King Winter, breaking his arms and legs and beating him half to death before Icepick arrived, suggesting that he leave a message for any other foreign gangs trying to muscle in on his turf. He would record the slow torture and execution of his rival, ensuring that none would dare oppose him again before returning to America. By 1965, both Heroes of America and Heroes for Justice were investigating his empire thoroughly, and with numerous heroes after him Magnus chose to sell off his import/export business and dedicate his money entirely to criminal pursuits as his public persona became something of a millionaire recluse. Putting together a costume not unlike that of the heroes he opposed, he would first engage two individuals from HoA later that year and put both of them in hospital as a warning. Now realising that these superheroes were his greatest threat, Magnus put together his own group of superpowered criminals, recruiting Rat King and The Howler to his cause as they accumulated wealth and power. By this point, the only people who knew that Luco Carmine was Magnus were his friend Icepick, and Carlo Rossi, the ageing financial adviser who helped run the day-to-day affairs of his organisation. Though his group were known as 'The Carmine Association', most of the people working for their group had no clue who was running the business, as an intricate web of enforcers and underbosses managed each other, with a few reporting to Rossi. It was around this time that he began funnelling money into the construction of a stronghold in Chile, and after months of negotiation with a group of hawkish Soviet leaders, plotted to incite war between the United States and USSR so he could profit from the chaos that would certainly follow a nuclear exchange. While clashes against superheroes happened every so often, it was not until the exposure of retired superhero Bluecoat as the politician Herbert Green that they moved directly against one, tracking him to a safehouse in 1973 and attacking him. While The Howler was killed and Green injured the others, Magnus easily overwhelmed and killed the former hero, leaving his body for the police to find. Now being actively hunted by the HfJ leader Justice and numerous others, Magnus and his allies moved towards a military base in Alaska, swiftly taking over the base with the help of hired mercenaries. Using highly advanced technology provided to him by his contacts, Magnus was able to override safety protocols in the missile silo and initiated a countdown, intending to wipe Vladivostok off the map partly so his contacts in the Kremlin could take charge, and partly to remove the site of his sister's death from history. As the missile began counting down, a force of heroes attacked the site and for the first time, Magnus and Justice came face-to-face with each other. What ensued was a fight of enormous proportions as the two superhuman individuals battled across the base. Though he was younger and faster than Justice, Magnus soon came to realise that he had become overly-reliant on physical strength and possessed little in the way of fighting technique or combat experience, and was eventually knocked out by the hero, who was able to physically halt the nuclear missile's launch until his allies rendered it harmless. Upon awakening, Magnus attempted to escape as his private jet arrived, only to be halted by the heroes, who had already taken down his allies. Surrounded and beaten, he launched a brutal attack that killed two foes and gravely wounded others before Justice attacked him with his full strength. Following an enormous exchange of blows, the villain's body was utterly broken and his legs crippled by his enemy, though he had put up a good fight. As his criminal empire collapsed around him, Luco Carmine was arrested and jailed for life in 'Tartarus', a specially-built prison in the Antarctic Ocean. There, his powers were suppressed and he was kept under heavy guard, with little contact from the outside world. Despite several breakouts over the years due to outside intervention, Magnus became a surprisingly docile prisoner and refused to participate further in crime, though any who attempted to provoke him soon discovered why he had once been the most feared supervillain in the world. Surprisingly, he would eventually begin corresponding with Justice via letter, and while the two would never reconcile due to his irredeemable crimes, Magnus enjoyed his debates over politics and morality with the hero after he retired. After Justice passed away in 2016, Magnus was shocked to discover that he had been invited to pay his respects at the funeral, and was allowed to do so under armed guard, enjoying a single day outside before returning to Tartarus. While utterly unrepentant for his actions even in his old age, he eventually accepted the futility of fighting against the ever-expanding hero system and would even pen articles published in magazines criticising certain aspects of the United Hero Organisation. **'Personality': *'Icepick' (1941-) **'Real Name': **'Powers': Body Manipulation, Skin Hardening **'Years Active': 1961-1980 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': Bronze Age *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': 1980s *'Monster of Manila' (1951-1994) **'Real Name': Joseph Quirino **'Powers': Electricity Generation **'Years Active': 1983-1994 **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': 1990s *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': 21st Century' *'Endgame''' (1965-) **'Real Name': Abbas Kulkarni **'Powers': Mind's Eye (Clairvoyance, Telekinesis, Precognition, Illusion Awareness) **'Years Active': 2005- **'Bio': Born into a wealthy family in the Indian state of Maharashtra, Abbas Kulkarni was noted for his high intelligence even as a child, prompting extensive private tutoring by his parents. As the youngest of four brothers, he was somewhat spoilt at times despite the pressure from his studying, and enjoyed watching American Western films as a child. In 1981, he would move to America with his family, living in California for several years as he finished school and began to pursue a degree as a clinical psychologist. At the age of 21 in 1986, Abbas would be caught up in a bank robbery as a minor supervillain and his henchmen attacked the building, taking him and many others as hostages. As the situation grew more dire, the young man and all the other nearby civilians were saved as Red Angel arrived, subduing the criminals after a lengthy battle. Awed by this display of heroism, Abbas became quite a fan of the International Justice Division for a while, partly out of youthful optimism and a belief that these heroes could shape society for the better, and partly due to the similarities between these superheroes and the Western heroes of his childhood. He would eventually grain a doctorate and became a fairly well-known psychologist despite his young age, largely working with clients with a history of childhood trauma and helping them to overcome difficulties in life. He possessed a unique insight that allowed many to greatly improve their lives, and was eventually recommended to the newly-formed United Hero Organisation in 1993. Abbas soon discovered that a hero's life was a difficult one, as many had numerous psychological issues ranging from traumatic memories to serious self-doubt that they felt might jeopardise their careers. He maintained his position as one of the UHO's top mental health experts until 1997, when the already-infamous international group Red Line was forcibly dissolved by the organisation for its involvement in numerous wars, with some seeing them as little more than a team of superpowered mercenaries. The lack of any formal punishment for this group and protection from mass media coverage that the UHO afforded shocked and disgusted Abbas, who had begun to see them as less of an altruistic organisation and more of one concerned only with its own continued existence, relevance, and profit. Departing from the UHO, Abbas spent four years in his homeland of India before returning to the United States in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks as several of his peers in the field called for his assistance in counselling survivors and others affected by the event. While he busied himself with work for some time, it was in 2004 that he first met a patient he could not help: Jason Bryce. The 16 year-old had been incarcerated for murdering his family, and after several hours speaking with Abbas attempted to kill him. Something seemed to awaken in him for the first time; a sense of precognition sparked by a desire to survive that not only allowed him to survive Bryce's sudden display of superhuman powers but completely overpower the teenager with a display of telekinesis. Taken aback by this, he had Bryce restrained while he came to terms with these abilities over the coming weeks. After hearing news that the UHO had once again allowed a portion of its members to fight overseas in Iraq and elsewhere, Abbas began to formulate a lengthy plan to 'correct' what he saw as a deeply misguided organisation. After exploring his powers some more, he requested a second session with the young Jason Bryce and managed to break him out of prison, creating an explosion to fake their deaths before heading abroad under a fake name. Utilising his wide array of connections built up from years of helping others, Abbas called in a lot of favours as he moved towards what he called 'Operation Jiva'. After spending a great deal of time and money expanding his operation and creating new 'cells' in an attempt to more superhumans to his cause, he deemed Jiva ready to begin in 2016, just days after the death of famed hero John Morris. **'Personality': *'Cleaner' (1989-) **'Real Name':Jason Bryce **'Powers': Portal Creation, Enhanced Reflexes **'Years Active': 2008- **'Bio': Growing up in Massachusetts, Jason Bryce was the youngest of three sons; their mother and father worked as a lawyer and government employee respectively. Though he received good upbringing and was lavished with love and affection like his siblings, some remarked that there was something 'off' about Jason even from an early age. While quieter and more observant than most children, he would occasionally have exceptionally violent outbursts as a child and as he entered school, was constantly in counselling for his behavioural problems in spite of his clear intelligence. This would escalate as he grew beyond help from any family member or other concerned person, and though he would have months of lucidity Jason would always fall back onto his violent ways every so often as he got into trouble with the police more than once. In 2004, this came to a head as a 16 year-old Jason responded to his parents' announcement that they would be sending him to a harsh military school to teach him proper discipline by brutally murdering them and his two brothers with his father's stolen pistol. The house was eventually surrounded as police arrived, and Jason surrendered immediately. Facing life in prison, he was interviewed by several psychologists and counsellors, including one Abbas Kulkarni, who managed to get under his skin and made Jason brutally attack him. To his surprise, the man was able to telekinetically toss him away and escaped, leaving the teenager to his fate. However, Abbas would return the night before his sentencing and broke Jason out of prison for some unknown reason, taking him abroad in a private jet to his family's estate in India. It was here that Jason's dormant powers were unlocked for the first time by his new mentor, who actively encouraged his violent tendencies and believed that they could be directed towards appropriate targets. After a lifetime of being told that violence was to be avoided, Jason was pleased to hear this from Abbas and spent the next few years working under him as his first student, learning the limitations of his portal-creating abilities and ending up as an assassin of sorts along the way. Having no intention of changing the world like Abbas, Jason - now known by his codename Cleaner - was content on enjoying life as he saw fit. Inheriting his teacher's sense of theatrics and a love for old action movies, he would end up training himself with various forms of weaponry that worked in tandem with his hard-to-use powers in preparation for the day when he could finally kill a genuine superhero. While he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds across east Asia as Abbas targeted gangsters, drug-runners and the occasional UHO informant, Jason's first hit in the United States would not be until 2016, where after the death of John Morris he would murder a young superheroine named Shimmershield. **'Personality': *'Shatterpoint' (1992-) **'Real Name': Armando Collins **'Powers': Atomic Vision/Shatterpoint, Enhanced Speed **'Years Active': 2013- **'Bio': **'Personality': *'NAME' **'Real Name': **'Powers': **'Years Active': **'Bio': **'Personality': Supervillain Teams *The Carmine Association (1964-1973) Timeline 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s *1930 *1931 *1932 *1933 **August 8th: A thirteen year-old John Morris lifts an entire tractor over his head, first displaying his superhuman strength. *1934 *1935 *1936 *1937 *1938 **November 9-10th: Kristallnacht. Markus Abramovich's family flees Danzig, though his elder brother is arrested. **November 12th: Markus uses his powers to fight through a military checkpoint as they head into France. *1939 **July 29th: A former tailor named Herbert Green takes to the streets as Bluecoat violently attacking criminals in Boston using his X-ray vision to ambush foes. **September 1st: The Second World War breaks out. **October 29th: Sturmbannführer Egon Strauss begins his 'Wunderwaffe' Human experimentation program, seeking to artificially induce superhuman abilities on brainwashed prisoners. **November 7th: Federal agents apprehend Bluecoat, seeking to use the powered individual as a government agent. 1940s *1940 **June 1st: Markus Abramovich changes his name to the more 'American-sounding' Mark Abrams. **August 21st: Helena McDonald moves to the United States from Scotland. *1941 **February 11th: Taking the alias Tyche, MacDonald begins her crimefighting career in New York. She soon meets Abrams, who had also taken on his own name: Golem. The pair team up for several months. **December 7th: Japan attacks Pearl Harbour, prompting America's involvement in the war. *1942 ** *1943 *1944 *1945 **April 30th: Death of Adolf Hitler **May 1st: The Wunderwaffe Camp of Egon Strauss is destroyed by Golem, Bluecoat, and several others, ending years of Human experimentation. Strauss is believed dead as his facility detonates. **September 2nd: The Second World War officially ends. **November 9th: With the support of the United States government, the 'League of Heroes' is officially founded with six members. *1946 *1947 *1948 *1949 1950s *1950 *1951 *1952 *1953 *1954 *1955 *1956 *1957 **''Bluecoat'' retires. *1958 *1959 **Death of Atom Bomb 1960s *1960 **Heroes of America is established as the League of Heroes is disbanded. **The hero duo Stars and Stripes are introduced to the general public, and are considered the first 'manufactured' wholly by the US Government. *1961 **Herbert Green, formerly known as Bluecoat, begins his political career while covertly working alongside the CIA to manage several superheroes. *1962 **Death of White Mask **A schism erupts within Heroes of America over whether or not to send superheroes to Vietnam. 'Heroes for Justice' is set up by Justice, Tyche, and several others and moves to California while HOA remains on the East Coast. *1963 **Secret marriage of Justice and Tyche. *1964 **Helena Morris (Tyche) retires after giving birth to her and John's son, Will. *1965 *1966 *1967 *1968 *1969 1970s *1970 *1971 *1972 **Herbert Green's former handler, Raymond Howe, defects to the Soviet Union and reveals his former identity to the general public. He is forced to abandon his campaign for Senator and goes into hiding. *1973 **Murder of Bluecoat **Justice averts World War Three with the defeat of Magnus. *1974 *1975 **The Vietnam War ends *1976 *1977 **Heroes of America is disbanded. *1978 *1979: 1980s *1980 **Heroes for Justice is formally disbanded. **SuperForce is set up as the primary group for superpowered individuals in the United States of America. *1981 *1982 *1983 **The International Justice Division is founded by the United Nations Security Council, with heroes from across the globe joining its ranks. The Soviet Union bans its heroes from joining the organization. *1984 *1985 *1986 *1987 *1988 **A talented prodigy, Martin Garza becomes Night Hunter at the age of nineteen and joins SuperForce. *1989 **Red Line, a US-EU superhero group, is established to help keep order in hotspots around the globe. Night Hunter joins their ranks. 1990s *1990 **As the Soviet Union collapses, Red Line is deployed to help keep order in the newly-reunited Germany. *1991 **John Morris pens his controversial but critically-acclaimed autobiography, Right and Left, about his years as Justice. *1992 *1993 **SuperForce is dissolved. **The United Hero Organisation (UHO) is established, acting as an equivalent to the United Nations for superpowered individuals from across the globe. Each country that joins provides both a powered and non-powered representative as it attempts to tackle important issues around the globe. **Red Line becomes involved in the Croatian War of Independence under the pretence of hunting down supervillain war criminals. As they could not confirm this after numerous bloody battles, the group were harshly criticised by the international community. *1994 **John Morris is made the head of the UHO council, working mostly from home despite his old age. *1995 *1996 *1997 **Red Line is forcibly dissolved on the UHO's orders. **Scott Turner, the ageing hero known as Stripes and Red Line's former leader, dies of a drug overdose. *1998 **Young Heroes United is set up as an international training school to help children and teens with superpowers learn to control their abilities and set them up for their career of choice. *1999 **''Night Hunter'' enters a relationship with Lady Crimson. They eventually have a daughter, Violet, and are married by the end of the year. 2000s *2000 *2001 **Helena Morris dies. **September 11th Attacks **The US Government establishes Task Force Hades, a group of heroes dedicated to tracking down an eliminating terrorists in the Middle East. Members include Night Hunter, Hazmat, Black Hornet, Revenant and Doctor Fog. *2002 *2003 **''Blue'' retires as a hero. *2004 *2005 **''Night Hunter'' leaves Task Force Hades after his wife leaves him and retires, unable to find any hero team willing to take him in. *2006 *2007 *2008 *2009 2010s *2010 *2011 **September 16th: 127 inmates escape The Crypt during Cynaide's infamous September Breakout. Harry McAvoy escapes interment after a mere three days. **Task Force Hades is disbanded. *2012 *2013 *2014 *2015 *2016 **January 7th: John Morris dies of old age at ninety-six.